10: Painful Memories

"Are you telling the truth, Maelony?"

The old man's voice sounded like thunder in their ears. Kalliste observed the man. His rounded ears, adorned with some shaggy fur, gave him a lion-like appearance. She also saw the black markings on the back of his ears. However, she was unaware of the significance of these markings. Behind him was a long tail with a black tassel at the end.

"Of course! Why would I lie? I saw hundreds of monster corpses piled up like a small mountain. The whole area looked like an ocean of blood from those monsters. There was even an adult Gargoyle's body amongst them!"

This sentence silenced the noisy crowd. While some feared the sudden revelation, others had something else in mind.

"Was the gargoyle's body still there?" A young man with wolf ears and muscular build enquired. He was now grinning madly. Being a hunter for years, he knew just how powerful and intelligent the Gargoyle's race was. Those beings were not only rarer than dragons but twice as powerful. Hunting one of those species was comparable to an ant trying to trap an elephant, let alone kill one. Simply impossible. One must at least be an 8-circled mage and above, or a level six knight, in order to subdue one. However, in these remote areas, who would be strong enough to kill it?

"It was still there."

Mokraz grinned even more. Any part of a gargoyle's body was more expensive than gold. Obtaining a whole body guaranteed a lifetime of luxurious living. The insane amount of wealth that a Gargoyle's corpse would amass could even earn one a noble title. For years, hunters, mercenaries, and knights tried to hunt down that race; however, only one man survived to tell the tales. He now lived in the capital with the title of baron. Though he stayed silent on how he got the gargoyle's tail, many speculated that he just got lucky. For quite some time, rumours about him circulated in the capital. However, overtime, people quickly forgot when a new rumour appeared.

"Who would be strong enough to kill it?" An old man with large elephant ears voiced out everyone's question.

"Was there an 8-circled mage hiding in the mountains without our knowledge?" Asked another one with black feathers sticking out of his shoulders.

"This won't do. Soon enough, the humans would find their bodies. They would surely send knights to investigate!"

"What should we do next? We can't have them discover our existence!"

"We must…"

Amidst the heavy discussions of the locals, Kalliste stayed silent. She was unaware that killing such a massive creature would have such a profound impact. Looking back, she only slaughtered the monster because it was a threat to the boy.

'I should be more careful of my actions next time.' She whispered as beads of cold sweat rushed down her face.

Her silence did not go unnoticed by Rowan. Especially when he noticed her face turning pale.

"My Kally, are you alright?"

With all the strength that she could muster, she smiled faintly. She needed to divert Rowan's attention.

"I-I don't feel too well. Let's get out of here, darling."

Seeing her pale face, Rowan immediately agreed and gently pulled her out of the crowd.

"You don't have to listen to anything they say. Let the adults solve this problem," Rowan said as he pulled her on his arms and gently patted her silky soft hair.

Her terrified reactions made him swear to himself that she would never hear such gruesome things again.

"Come. I would show you something that might cheer you up."

With that, Rowan gently guided her towards a wide field. It was full of fragrant wild flowers and verdant grasses. Colourful butterflies and insects that she had never seen before flew everywhere. However, what got her attention was the gigantic tree that stood proudly at the center. Its branches extended as far as her eyes could see. It boasted emerald foliage larger than her head and a massive trunk capable of concealing ten individuals simultaneously. Its fruits were also shining brightly. Upon closer inspection, Kalliste gasped. It left her wide-eyed and in awe. Its fruits consisted of sparkling diamonds and precious gems. This clearly demonstrated the level of peace and harmony present in this place. Something that she was unfamiliar with. If such a tree existed in her old world, then it would surely cause an all-out war. The greed of humans would surely be its end.

"Come. Let us go over there."

Kalliste followed Rowan's pointed fingers. He was pointing at the gigantic tree's shades.

"Alright." Holding his hand, they ambled forward.

As soon as they arrived, Rowan sat down upon the huge roots that poked out of the ground. He then tapped the space next to him.

Kalliste could only sigh as she followed suit.

There was a moment of silence as the two watched the baby beastmen happily playing on the wide field. Some beastmen were busy caressing each other on the far corner, while the others simply lay on the lush grass, basking in the sun's rays.

"Are you really alright?" Rowan was the first to break the silence. He stared intensely at the girl.

Kalliste, on the other hand, felt her blood run up her face. The situation was awkward, and she had no idea what to do.

"Yes. Thank you for your concerns, darling." She forced a smile. But the moment she realised who the person in front of her was, the smile quickly vanished. 'This is all wrong! What am I even doing here?' she thought.

She was someone who should not have existed in this world in the first place. Hell, she is neither an extra nor a side character.

"Kally, I did not want to pry, but can I ask you something?" Rowan suddenly questioned.

"Sure. What do you want to know?" Kalliste half-heartedly replied. Her current situation occupied her thoughts.

"Nothing much. I just wanted to know more about you. We have been together for a few days now, but I only know your name."

Instead of answering, Kalliste just shrugged. She looked at the boy before answering. "What's there to know? There was nothing interesting about me."

"What about your family? Do you have any siblings?"

When the word family was mentioned, waves of memories suddenly flooded her mind. She instantly spaced out.

Kalliste whispered in the air, "Family." It was an unfamiliar word for her, but somehow, her heart clenched tightly in her chest. As though an icy claw gripped her still-beating heart.

"I… I grew up in the orphanage," she began.

This caught Rowan's attention, and he stared at her with wide eyes.

"I apologise, my lady. I should not have asked." He quickly looked away in shame. Seeing the look in her eyes, he knew that his question somehow hit a sensitive spot.

"It's alright, darling. Do not worry about it. Indeed, I do have numerous siblings. We cared for each other like brothers and sisters despite not being related."

Kalliste forced a smile.

Even though it was a long time ago, the memories of how they all died continue to haunt her to this day.

She could never forget their painful screams as the machines butchered them like animals. Their warm blood bathed the earth red, especially when they took their last breaths right in front of her.

"What about you, darling? Could you tell me something about your family?" Kalliste tried her best to sound natural.

Though she wanted to cry, she held herself. She could only divert her mind from such an intense moment.

"My father was a powerful and merciless man. However, that did not stop my mother from falling in love with him. Through her efforts, she became his most cherished concubine among all others. This was the reason why the main consort, as well as the other concubines, spited my mother to the core. Their jealousy and hatred grew even more when my mother got pregnant with me. But my mother was a kind woman. She never once thought of having revenge. She just accepted all of their hostility with a smile on her face." Rowan paused for a minute. His eyes moistened when he remembered what her mother would always say to him whenever he was angry.

"My kind mother. She always said that violence would only lead to a never-ending cycle of hatred." Rowan suddenly stopped when he felt a lump in his throat.

His fists clenched tightly as his emotions toppled outside his mind, unleashing his hatred against the ones who caused his mother's death. He could not hide it any longer. The sorrow that he felt drained him of energy. It consumed him, and all he wanted was revenge.

However, the sudden caress of smooth and tiny hands brought him back to reality. Before he could say anything, he found himself in a tight hug. She placed her arms on his back and gently patted him. At that moment, Rowan experienced a sense of familiarity. However, no tears came out of his face. Either he was too exhausted to cry or ran out of tears. He had no idea.

"My Kally, I…" He immediately stopped when he noticed her shoulders tremble slightly. When he heard faint sobs, his eyes widened as he gently pulled her away from him. She was now crying her eyes out.

"My Kally? What's wrong? Are you hurt somewhere? Why are you crying? Tell me!" Rowan was on the verge of panic as he tried to calm her down.

"I am sorry. It was all the author's fault! Why must they do this to you? You are only a child, yet you have to endure such painful moments. Such brutality. I should not have judged you without knowing what you have gone through as a child," Kalliste said in between sobs.

Her old world bestowed upon her the moniker Kortik Moskva, the strongest and most powerful weapon humanity possessed. She was someone with no tears, blood, or emotions. However, she became emotional after hearing his life story. The novel didn't provide any details about the main lead's background, leaving her completely clueless.

Although it was previously mentioned that he had a terrible and painful childhood, she was unaware that it would be so serious. Even if she wanted to stop, she just could not control her emotions. Beads of tears continued to run down her face, like a waterfall. It felt like it was ripping her chest apart. This may have something to do with her regression, but she was not sure.

"Why would the author not specify these important details? Just why?"

'Author? Who is that?' Rowan thought when he heard the name twice. His face immediately darkened. Something inside of him wanted to snap, but he held himself.

Though he did not understand what she was talking about, his heart softened as he watched her cry her eyes out. It was the first time in his life that someone cried this much just for someone like him. He had seen many people shed crocodile tears to accomplish their goals, but this would be the first time that he encountered someone like her. It was not too bad, though. However, he was rendered speechless. He had no idea how to calm her down. Without any words, he brought her into his embrace tightly. At that moment, he made a lifetime promise to himself.

'I would make sure that the next time you cry, it would be tears of joy.' He closed his eyes and brought her even closer to him, taking in the fragrance of her hair.

----------------

"Kid. Kid! Wake up!"

Rowan's eyes snapped open as soon as the loud sound of yelling and screaming hit his ears. He quickly stood up and saw the destruction of the village. From where he stood, he saw the shattered houses and strewn bodies of beastmen littered the village like trash. However, the huge monsters that were now rampaging around the village caught his attention the most.

"Come on! Let's get out of here!"

Rowan heard the old man with elephant ears shout at him.

"Kally, we need to get out…" He couldn't finish his sentence when he noticed that she was nowhere to be found. His eyes immediately widened in horror.

"Where is she!"